[ Reviewed by: Vigil ] - [ Date: Saturday,
10th March, 2001 ]
Special note: I playtested this level shortly
before it was released. I commented on the
gameplay and gave the author ideas. That's
it.
Besides his Mel Soaring series, Shaun Ross
has done a few independent levels, not continuing
the saga of Mel Soaring. His third SPQ level,
Egyptian Myth, is one such level. Released
only about 4 months after The Savage Sanguine,
it's again fairly recent. Between this level
and The Savage Sanguine, Kona released Ancient
Rigby, a medieval SPQ2 level. Too bad that
the excellent curves don't make an appearance
here. The level is set in an ancient Egyptian
temple this time, using textures from the
second mission pack. They are combined with
normal Quake textures and Egyptian Myth
has an original, yet somehow familiar feel.
The architecture and design are pretty
similar to Kona's earlier SPQ level. There
are only 2 different levels though he has
managed to get in some minimal vertical
fighting. Some of the ledges could've been
used better. Ogres would have done well,
bombarding you from above. The level mixes
indoor and outdoor, some of the rooms have
rocky ground, sometimes leading to an upper
level. Most of the vertical connection is
done by staircases however. The sights here
are nothing special, no spectacular designs
that will stay in your mind months after
playing it. Just good, steady visuals throughout.
Personally I would've preferred some texture
variations: Even though the theme is consistent,
it might get a little repetitive. Only the
final area has some little variation. The
layout is mostly linear, but you'll be backtracking
a bit and there are a few limited route
choices. Usually these provide a slightly
different access to the next room. I had
no problems navigating the level, my destination
was clear at all times.
The gameplay is quite different though.
While The Savage Sanguine felt relatively
easy, this will make you sweat. The level
has 119 monsters on Normal and 122 on Hard.
These are packed into a level about the
same size as The Savage Sanguine and they
are a good deal harder too. The Snakeman
is included here too, as deadly as before.
Then add hordes of Knights and Hellknights,
some Ogres and Scrags. And if that's not
enough, there are several Shamblers and
Vores. To fight all these, you're given
an impressive arsenal. Every weapon except
the Grenade Launcher and the Thunderbolt
(lightning gun) are included. Strangely,
you'll get two Rocket Launchers, one about
halway through the level and another one
just before the ending. And to ease your
task, there are loads of ammo. Shells and
nails mostly with a few rockets here and
there. Ammo was never a problem. I enjoyed
the special arenas a lot, where more monsters
kept teleporting in after you had finished
the initial ones. These were very fun, just
after you thought you had survived, 2 more
Shamblers teleport in. Thanks to the good
use of teleports, for the most part combat
is very constant. You'll be given a few
moments to breathe here and there. Also,
the tight corridors can be hazardous, as
you try to dodge grenades and Scrags. The
final combat was a bit lacking though. You
fight a special Hellknight with more attacks
and health. If other monsters had been used
with this one, the fight would've been more
climactic. Nevertheless, the combat is enjoyable
and good, though a few more monsters would
have fitted in.
The lighting, on the other hand, is nothing
special. I found it a bit bland, there were
very few shadows. This could've been improved
a bit. There are two secrets, activated
by buttons, I found both. They are very
helpful, but you can complete the level
without them, just be more cautious. There
weren't any apparent visual flaws, but on
Normal skill you can get 122/119 kills.
Also, the difficulty settings seem to change
the level very little, some players might
have problems with this. Nitpicking, some
of the monsters were looking at odd directions
so I could sneak up on them.
To conclude this review, Egyptian Myth
is definitely an improvement over Kona's
earlier SPQ levels. And even though the
visuals aren't too impressive, the good
combat more than makes up for that. Another
recommended level.
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